The proposed research will (a) explore the hypothesized relationship between adult perceptual style--the extent to which a person is differentially sensitive to children's negative or positive behaviors--child-rearing attitudes and values, and adult-child interactions, and (b) demonstrate that perceptual styles in parents are related to the presence or absence of behavior dysfunctions in children. Perceptual style will be measured by determining the number of negative and positive behaviors that a person perceives a child emit in a standard stimulus situation. It is expected that a negative perceptual bias will be (1) related to negative child-rearing attitudes and insensitive adult behavior with children, and (2) found more frequently in parents of children who exhibit behavior dysfunctions. Results will (a) contribute to a little explored, but important area of person perception and (b) establish a basis for future research that would (1) investigate, longitudinally, the relationship between perceptual bias in parents and psychological development in children, and (2) explore training programs that would attempt to help "high risk" persons become more effective parents.